


Not Today

by Ailette



Series: Changes [3]
Category: Sexy Zone
Genre: Imported, M/M, still B.I.Shadow era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-27
Updated: 2012-10-27
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:24:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailette/pseuds/Ailette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kento can't get the rumors about A.B.C-xyZ out of his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Today

Kento felt exhausted. A long day of nothing but revising stuff that just wouldn’t stick, being tested on said stuff and finally teachers trying to hammer even more into his head… Entrance exams were _close_. He would have loved to just get back home, crawl into his bed and not get up again until next Monday. But of course, he couldn’t. He’d only stopped by at home to quickly change and drop off his bag before rushing out again. If all the rush was for work or _more_ learning, he’d probably be ready to snap at whoever made the mistake of talking to him first. Luckily, it was for his movie date with Fuma instead. Well, not a _date_ date, but they were supposed to meet up and see a movie, so…

And it would be the first time with just the two of them after a good while. After his little break-down at the hotel, specifically. He fidgeted with his collar nervously, messing it up, trying not to think about the topic they still hadn’t talked about.

_Not today_.

As the theater came into view, he quickly re-adjusted his collar and tried to not look like a crazy person as he greeted the security guard at the back-entrance to the venue. Apparently he wasn’t too successful because the guard stopped him and made him show his ID. Kento inwardly counted to ten. Yes, he was part of the company. Yes, he was allowed to be here. No, he wasn’t part of the show today. With the dozens of Juniors taking part in this stage play, no guard on Earth could be expected to know all of them by looks alone, really, but still.

Finally allowed to proceed, Kento made sure to smile at the guard extra brightly before moving on (hopefully he’d remember Kento next time). It wasn’t the first and certainly wouldn’t be the last time he’d come here to pick Fuma up after his last performance of the day. Though most of the time it was just so they could head over to their next job together and usually involved other people. It was a bit out of the way for Kento, but if it meant seeing Fuma for an hour more than he usually would, then he was fine with it. Especially with Shounentachi at the moment, it felt like he barely got to see his friend anymore. Which was part of the reason why he’d blackmailed Fuma into going out today (the younger boy was always easy to convince when he knew that he wouldn’t have to shell out). Another part of it might have been the newspaper headlines from the last few days; the news of _A.B.C-xyZ_ – or maybe rather the announced members.

Kento stopped when he heard loud voices from up ahead, unconsciously smiling to himself when he instantly recognized Fuma’s laughter. A few moments later, he and A.B.C-Z rounded the corner at the end of the corridor and came into view. All of them still glowing from the adrenaline of being on stage, of having hundreds of people screaming their names and singing along to their voices. They hadn’t noticed him yet, still talking amongst themselves, and Kento leaned against the wall to wait where he was. Watching the motley group with Kawai in the center in his wheelchair and the others surrounding him.

“Maybe we should keep him as a permanent replacement for Fumi. His dancing’s better anyway.” There was a pause before Goseki gravely added, “And he’s not in danger of someday being killed by angry senpai for imitating them…”

“He doesn’t look like a horse,” Tsukada agreed, entirely safe from retribution since he was pushing Kawai’s wheelchair in front of him.

“He’s got a really nice voice, too,” Totsuka said thoughtfully. “What do you think, Hasshi?”

The youngest of the group stopped, looked at Fuma (who looked entirely too amused by the whole conversation) and then spontaneously jumped forward to hug him. “Someone my height!”

Kawai was protesting loudly, something about not bullying handicapped horses, but was ignored when it became obvious that Fuma wasn’t just shocked speechless but actually incapable of breathing because Hashimoto still hadn’t let go of him.

The atmosphere was easy as they were laughing, but, unseen in his spot, Kento felt his heart plummet. Seeing them get along so well, it brought back his worries instantly. He hadn’t been able to completely ignore the rumors from the papers, despite everything he had going on at the moment. _A.B.C-xyZ_. A.B.C-Z were supposed to debut next year. With new members. Fuma’s name had come up in several of the articles. He’d dismissed it at first, too busy contemplating other things and buried up to his ears in school books, but uneasiness had remained. What if it was true? What if Fuma were to leave his side soon?

It reminded him of the time when they first joined. Only a few short months later Fuma had been handed a microphone, getting to sing immediately in his first Shonen Club appearance. There was no doubt that someone, someone with power, had recognized Fuma’s talent. He also remembered how hard he had worked to quickly reach Fuma’s side again. How he had hated to just watch his new friend from afar, even if it was for just a few weeks.

He didn’t want to know what it would feel like _now_ , to see Fuma move on without him. Because back then they had barely just become friends and now… now Fuma meant the world to him.

His friend chose that moment to finally notice him and waved. Kento hesitantly waved back, plastering a smile on his face as he pushed himself off the wall; feeling like an intruder when the six in front of him sobered. Fuma frowned slightly at his expression when he reached his side, but then only casually slung his arm around his shoulder as he bid good-bye to their senpai. Unlike Kento, Fuma had seemed more at ease around him lately. Like having his friend practically break down and in his arms made him relax instead of anxious to know the reason. Maybe it did. Maybe that was why he hadn’t breached the topic even once in the past few weeks.

Fuma giddily recounted some of the latest incidents on stage that day as they walked. How one of the lights had exploded and made Hashimoto jump, Tsukada had started singing the wrong lyrics or one of the canons had gone off too soon. At some point, his arm had vanished from Kento’s shoulders again. When he finished, it became quiet. Kento couldn’t quite bring himself to say much; whenever he wanted to interject something, his mind supplied jealous little messages and he bit his tongue so as not to say them out loud. ( _You fit right in with them, huh? How convenient_.)

After a few minutes of silence, Kento looked over to see Fuma a few steps ahead of him, curiously looking at a self-made name plate in front of one of the houses that were lining the quiet street they were standing in. Had he even noticed that Kento had fallen behind? Gnawing on his lip again and ignoring the stinging in his eyes, Kento briskly walked up to him and slid his hand into Fuma’s – not letting go when the other boy looked up at him in surprise. After what had happened at the concerts, Kento had tried to relax a little more in Fuma’s vicinity, but reaching out for him like this was still strange. What had been a thoughtless touch in the past was now one more step in the direction of revealing his feelings for Fuma completely. Every little touch took so much courage these days. So Fuma had all reason to look surprised.

“Nakajima?”

Kento exhaled shakily, his eyes snapping shut only to fly open again a second later to look at their hands. He couldn’t look at Fuma directly. “Don’t- no, I can’t say – I can’t ask you to turn down the chance if you get it.”

He stared at their hands, felt his heart almost bursting because Fuma wasn’t pulling away, but maybe soon, it would already be impossible to get this close. If Fuma left him behind and stepped into the spotlight where he wouldn’t be able to see Kento anymore, might forget about him over the years, just a distant memory of a childhood-friend. (‘ _That guy I knew when I was still a Junior_ -’) Never knowing how much he meant to said friend. A sudden pang of regret and desperation made Kento gasp for air and tighten his grip.

“I like you,” he burst out and was terrified with every word that left his lips. “Please don’t forget me.”

Fuma looked stumped. And worried. “Are you going somewhere?” he asked at the same time as Kento exclaimed,

“Even though you really deserve to debut. Like, properly. Standing in the front where everyone can see and hear and cheer for you, not just in the back with some other kids. I mean, what they’re saying is true. You’re a great dancer with a fantastic voice and you’re really attractive-”

He only stopped because Fuma had taken his hand in both of his now, squeezing as he raised them and earnestly meeting his eyes. It was like he just knew that it would get Kento to pause and take a breath, stop babbling. He really did know him too well. Fuma’s voice was slow and clear when he started talking.

“I’m not part of A.B.C-Z. And I’m never gonna be- they’re amazing senpai and we get along, but A.B.C-Z is the five of them. They won’t let anyone mess with that,” he smiled ever so slightly, a little crookedly and maybe embarrassed for what he was about to say next. “And I don’t think I want to stand in front without you.”

Kento’s heart was beating too fast for him to even catch a breath. He watched Fuma absently playing with his fingers and waited. Waited for Fuma to answer. He hadn’t meant to confess, _not today_ , but now that he had-

Fuma looked up and smiled. “Let’s get going. The movie will start without us and that would be a waste of your money, now wouldn’t it?”

What?

“What?”

Fuma nodded and turned to start walking and something in Kento just snapped. That _idiot_ – he misunderstood or put it aside or… Kento was not going to let him brush aside his words just like that. Not after everything that had already happened in the last few months. Three large steps and he was in front of Fuma, effectively stopping him and making him raise his eyebrows in question.

Before his brain could get the chance to catch up with his actions and stop him again, Kento yanked Fuma close and kissed him. Not long, not sweet, not even waiting for a reaction. Just pressing his lips against those of his friend like they’re in some kind of love scene, a camera following their every movement and concerned not too make it too intimate when they’re just acting. No, he just kissed Fuma so he would finally get it.

So they could just finally take the next step in this silly little play that was his life and Kento could get his heart broken properly and then, somehow, move on. When he’d let go and finally gathered the courage to look Fuma in the eye, he caught Fuma staring and felt the heat quickly spreading over his cheeks. His brain had definitively caught up with his actions now. So had shame and humiliation and fear. He wondered if this would be the first time Fuma would hit him on purpose.

He couldn’t help himself, when Fuma finally moved, his eyes snapped shut and he brazed himself for whatever was going to happen next. He didn’t expect Fuma to wrap his arms around him, to pull him close. Reflexively, his fingers grabbed onto the material of Fuma’s shirt and he remembered the first and only time they’d hugged like this; wonders what the meaning behind it is this time. Last time he’d been upset and it had been Fuma’s way of dealing with that and following Yugo’s advice. Was this also just a way to calm him down?

He just held on for the moment, when suddenly, Fuma’s lips found their way behind his ear, brushing the soft skin there. Kento jumped, startled, and Fuma froze, immediately pulling back.

“Sorry- I thought-”

Kento could hear the note of panic in his voice and desperately pulled him back into the embrace. “No, no! You thought right,” he said and felt Fuma relaxing again. They were _terrible_ at this.

“How can anyone misunderstand that?” he asked eventually, meaning to sound teasing but only managing breathless. “After I confessed to you.” His cheeks were burning. “And kissed you.” The last one was the hardest to say, but he wanted Fuma to really believe him, to fully understand. “And been watching you from afar for so long now.”

The arms around him tightened at the last part. “That’s what you couldn’t tell me before.”

Kento only nodded. When Fuma very slowly pulled back this time, he let him. He didn’t go very far, only until they were far enough apart to look at each other again. Fuma’s hands settled on Kento’s hips as he regarded him.

Kento fidgeted under the heavy gaze. After running away and hiding everything for so long, it felt wrong to openly let Fuma see him like this. He wondered what the other could read on his face, what made him look so closely.

“You should have told me earlier.”

Kento bit his lip. “It’s not like this was easy for me-”

“Then you wouldn’t have had to suffer on your own.”

_Oh_. That one simple sentence was enough to make Kento feel butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t used to Fuma like this. Being open when it was just the two of them, yes. But showing his concern for Kento and saying something sweet like that were two entirely different things. Maybe he would have to get used to it. He would love to get used to it.

“But we’re together now, so it’s fine,” he said quietly. He meant it, too. Months of agonizing, of being afraid to really confront his feelings, locking himself up in his room, running away, barely talking to Fuma and crying more often than he liked to admit; it was all worth it for _this_.

He hadn’t even dared to hope for this anymore.

Fuma’s lips curled into a smile. “Oh, so we’re together now?” he asked.

If the blush had had any time to cool down, it certainly came back with a vengeance now as Kento tried to stutter out a reply. He wasn’t used to this _at all_ and having Fuma smirk at him like that was only making it worse.

He finally spluttered out a “Yes,” and then his hands flew up to hide his burning face. “What am I getting myself into?”

He only  lowered them when he heard Fuma’s chuckle so close to his ear, mesmerized when he was met with the sight of his friend right in front of him. The younger boy gently took Kento’s hands and pushed them out of the way, smiling and never once averting his eyes. Kento couldn’t remember ever having seen him so – _content_.

“The best sort of trouble,” Fuma said quietly and wasn’t stopped again when he leaned in for a proper first kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> (Originally posted at http://ailette.livejournal.com/75792.html)


End file.
